No Security Software and No Pants Make Homer...Something, Something

In a bit of a 180 from your run-of-the-mill porn spam, a group of phishers are using the image of an obese bald man in his underwear to trap e-mail readers. "The spam mail contains a picture of Homer Simpson...

In a bit of a 180 from your run-of-the-mill porn spam, a group of phishers are using the image of an obese bald man in his underwear to trap e-mail readers. "The spam mail contains a picture of Homer Simpson in his underwear and asks the recipient if they plan on seeing the movie and to help fill out a survey by clicking on a link," security app publisher, SPAMfighter, stated in a recent release. "Once the recipient does this, their e-mail address is recognized as being active, opening them up for many more spam mails."

As if the image weren't tempting enough, the clever spammer may also attempt to entrap you with the offer of prizes for filling out said survey, trapping you faster than you can say, "mmm...porn pop-up storm."

Brian Heater has worked at a number of tech pubs, including Engadget, Laptop, and PCMag (where he served as Senior Editor). Most recently, he was as the Managing Editor of TechTimes.com. His writing has appeared in Spin, Wired, Playboy, Entertainment Weekly, The Onion, Boing Boing, Publishers Weekly, The Daily Beast and various other publications. He hosts the weekly Boing Boing interview podcast RiYL, has appeared as a regular NPR contributor and shares his Queens apartment with a rabbit named Lucy.
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